Incidence and Predictors of Early Clinical Relapse Within Six Months After Thymectomy in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis

September 26, 2026 updated by: Anas Ahmed Abd Elgaber Ahmed, Assiut University

Incidence and Predictors of Early Clinical Relapse Within Six Months After Thymectomy in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis: An Observational Longitudinal Study

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular transmission, characterized by fluctuating muscle weakness and fatigue. Surgical removal of the thymus gland (thymectomy) is an established treatment to help achieve disease control in eligible patients. However, surgery does not guarantee permanent remission, and some individuals experience disease recurrence or clinical worsening.

The main objective of this observational study is to determine the incidence and clinical predictors of early relapse occurring within the first six months following thymectomy. The study evaluates adult patients with confirmed autoimmune myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy at Assiut University Hospitals. Patient characteristics, antibody profiles, pre-surgical disease severity, and postoperative follow-up assessments at 1, 3, and 6 months will be analyzed to identify factors associated with early clinical relapse.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients diagnosed with definite autoimmune myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy at Assiut University Hospitals and have documented clinical follow-up for at least six months post-surgery.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or older at the time of thymectomy
  • Definite autoimmune myasthenia gravis based on compatible clinical findings with supporting electrophysiological and/or serological evidence
  • History of thymectomy
  • Adequate preoperative medical records
  • Documented postoperative assessment sufficient to determine six-month outcome, unless a qualifying relapse or death occurs earlier

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Congenital myasthenic syndromes
  • Insufficient or unreliable medical records
  • Absence of reliable postoperative clinical assessment
  • Thymectomy performed for an unrelated indication without documented myasthenia gravis
  • Major comorbid neurological disease making myasthenia gravis activity assessment unreliable

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: RETROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Post-Thymectomy Myasthenia Gravis Patients

Adult patients aged 18 years or older with definite autoimmune myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy at Assiut University Hospitals. This cohort is evaluated for the incidence, clinical phenotype, and predictors of early clinical relapse occurring within six months post-thymectomy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Myasthenia Gravis Relapse
Time Frame: 6 months post-thymectomy

Clinically significant relapse is defined as an objective worsening of myasthenia gravis muscle weakness that requires treatment escalation (including increased corticosteroid dosing, addition of non-steroidal immunosuppressive agents, or initiation of rescue therapy with plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin).
6 months post-thymectomy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Assiut University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 26, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

October 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 26, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Post-Thymectomy MG Relapse

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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